Carton



May 9, 1961 G. c. RELLSTAB 2,983,420

CARTON Filed June 26, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 55 GEORGE c. RELLSTAB A TTORNE YS May 9, 1961 G. c. RELLSTAB 2,983,420

CARTON Filed June 26, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. GEORGE C. RELLSTAB A TTORNEYS Dodge Paper Box Corporation, Lcominster, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed June 26, 1959, Ser. No. 823,073

6 Claims. (Cl. 22916) This invention relates to a container or carton, and more particularly to a container or carton which may be filled as a tray and then closed, and which may be opened as a tube and reclosed.

In the packaging art it is often desired to provide a carton in the form of a tube of generally rectangular configuration to which access may be obtained by opening one end. Such cartons frequently have a tuck flap hingedly attached to the end wall which is intended to be opened and reclosed by the user. It is a primary object of the invention to provide an improved carton of this type.

the user to break the lock at one end wall and then open and'close that end wall at will.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a carton of the foregoing type which may be readily constructed from a one piece blank.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a carton of the foregoing type in which a cover support ing or dust flap is converted to a tuck flap.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a carton or container of the foregoing type in which corner locking flaps are converted, to simple side flaps.

vAffurther object of the invention is to provide acout-ainer or carton-of the foregoing type in which the con: versions just mentioned are facilitated.

' The foregoing and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention, and the manner in which the same are accomplished will become more readily apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of the inventiontaken in conjunction with the accm panying drawings, which illustrate ajpreferred and exemplary embodiment, and wherein:

"Figure 1 is a plan view of the novel blank of the invention; e

Figure 2 is a perspective view illustrating the container of the invention when almost erected for filling as a tray;

Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating the carton when almost closed subsequent to filling;

Figure 4 is a truncated perspective view illustrating one end of the carton when the carton is completely closed;

Figure 5 is a similar perspective view illustrating the manner in which the end of the carton is opened;

Figure 6 is a similar perspective View illustrating the carton end when fully open; and

Figure 7 is a similar perspective view illustrating the same end after reclosure.

Briefly stated, the purposes of the invention are accomplished by providing a one-piece blank which may be erected to form a carton having a wide top opening United States Patent 0 to permit filling of the carton as a tray. The top is then closed and the carton sealed. The consumer gains access to the carton by opening one end thereof and by breaking locks which hold that end closed.

Referring to the drawings, a one piece blank 10 formed of relatively stiff paperboard, cardboard or similar stock is provided with a bottom 12, to the respective sides of which a front wall 14 and a rear wall 16 are hinged along score lines 18 and 28. A cover 22 is hinged to the rear wall along a score line 24, and 'a closure flap 26 is hinged to the cover at its swinging edge along a score line 28. The cover has a thumb notch 30 at one end and a pair of slits 32 which extend inwardly a short distance along the score line 28. The function of these elements will become apparent hereinafter.

End walls 34 and 36 are hinged to the ends of the bottom 12 along score lines 38 and 40, respectively. These end walls have cover supporting or dust flaps 42 and 44 hinged thereto along respective score lines 46 and 48. The end walls are also provided with slits 50, 52, 54, and 56, one pair for each end wall. The slits extend in substantial parallelism from the respective score lines 38 and 40 and terminate in converging portions as shown.

I Corner flaps 58 and 60 are hinged to the rear wall 16 along score lines 62 and 64, respectively, and corner flaps 66 and 68 are hinged to the front wall 14 along score lines 70 and 72, respectively. There is thus a pair of corner flaps for each end wall. The corner flaps are separated from the respective end walls by notches 74',

I and by cut lines 76. Each corner flap is provided with arecess 78 so as to form terminal tongues 80, 82, 84, and 86 on the respective corner flaps. The configuration of the recesses 78 is such that the recess defining edges of the'tongues meet the recess defining edges of the corner flaps'obliquely. Tongues 80 and 82 are at tached to the respective corner flaps 58 and 66 along lines of weakness 88 and 90, which may be perforations. The other corner flaps are unweakened.

The blank of Figure 1 maybe erected by conventional carton-folding machinery, or by hand. The front wall 14, rear wall 16, and the end walls 34 and 36 are folded upwardly about the'respective score lines 18, 20, 38, and 40 until the respective walls are perpendicular to the bottom 12. The corner flaps 58, 60, 66, and 68 are folded about the respective score lines 62, 64, 70, and 72 until the corner flaps are perpendicular to the at t-ached front and rear walls 14 and 16. In the course of the folding process just described, the terminal tongues 80, 82, 84, and 86 are inserted through the respective slits 50, 52, 54, and 56 so that the oblique edge portions of the tongues referred to above lie adjacent the converging portions of the respective, slits as shown in Figure 2. When thus erected, the front, rear, and side Walls are locked together, and the carton is ready for filling as a tray through its open top. When the desired contents have been placedrin the container, the cover supporting or dust fiaps 42. and 44 are foldedlabout the respective score lines 46 and48 until the flaps are substantially perpendicular to the associated end walls 34 and 36. The cover 22 is folded about the score line 24, and the cover closure flap 26 is folded about the score line 28, so that the box may be closed as in Figure 3, the closure fiap 26 entering between the inner surface of the front wall 14 and the adjacent frontal edges of the cover supporting flaps 42 and 44. When the cover is fully closed, the frontal edges of the cover supporting flaps will enter the slits 32 and will hold the carton closed. Alternatively, or in addition, the closure flap 26 may be secured adhesively to the front wall 14. The carton may be provided with the usual paper or other overwrap and is then ready for shipment to the consumer. For clarity, the

overwrap has been omitted from the drawings.

aesaaao The carton of the invention is intended to .be opened as a tube, that is, by having one of its ends opened. Suitable indicia may be placed on the overwrap to indicate that the end having the weakened comer flaps is to be opened. The thumb notch 30 at that end facilitates such opening. To gain access to the contents of the closed package shown in Figure 4-, the user places his thumb in the thumb notch 30 and urges the end Wall 34 outwardly by exerting pressure upon the attached cover supporting flap 42 as shown in Figure 5. The consequent movement of the end wall exerts a force upon the associated corner flaps 5S and 66. Because of the locking arrangement of the terminal tongues 80 and 82 and the slits 50 and 52, substantial outward movement of the end wall is not possible without withdrawing the tongues from the slits or severing the terminal tongues from their corner flaps. Since the terminal tongues are held by the engagement of their oblique edges with the converging portions of the slits, they are torn from the corner flaps as indicated in Figure 5. Figure 6 shows the carton when it has been fully opened at one end.

The opening of the carton in the foregoing manner converts the locking corner flaps 58 and 66 to simple side flaps and converts the cover supporting flap 42 to a tuck flap. The carton may be reclosed by simply folding down the side flaps 53 and 66 and then the end wall 34, inserting the tuck flap 42 between the cover 22 and the adjacent edges of the side flaps. The carton will then appear as in Figure 7.

From the foregoing description, it is apperent that the invention provides a'unique carton or container. The simple manner in which the carton may be filled as a tray and opened as a tube and the simple structure for accomplishing this purpose have been made evident. While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims. Accordingly, the foregoing embodiment is to be considered illustrative rather than restrictive of the invention, and those modifications which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be included therein.

The invention claimed is:

1. A container comprising a bottom, with front, rear and end walls hingedly connected thereto, and a cover hingedly connected to the top edge of the rear wall and having a closure flap on its swinging edge, the front and rear walls having corner flaps on their end edges, the end walls having inwardly foldable cover supporting flaps on their upper edges, the end walls having pairs of slits and said corner flaps having terminal tongues engageable with the said slits, each of the corner flaps at one end of the container being delineated from its tongue by a line of weakness at which the tongue may be readily broken from the flap, said cover supporting flaps being foldable inwardly, the cover being closable over said supporting flaps, the cover closure flap being insertable between the front wall and the front edges of the cover supporting flaps, said container being adapted to be filled as a tray with the said cover in open position, and said container after being filled and closed being adapted to be opened as a tube by swinging one of said end walls outwardly to break the terminal tongues from said corner flaps associated therewith, and thereafter reclosed by using the cover supporting flap of the last-mentioned end wall as a tuck flap.

2. A container as defined in claim 1, said cover closure flap being provided with locking slits at the ends thereof adapted to coact with the front edges of said cover supporting flaps to lock said cover in closed position.

3. A container as defined in claim 1, said cover closure fiap being adhesively secured to said front wall.

4. A container as defined in claim .1, said cover being provided with a thumb recess along that end edge thereof which is adjacent to the corner flaps having said lines of weakness to facilitate breaking said corner flaps when access to the container is desired.

5. A container comprising a bottom, with front, rear and end walls hingedly connected thereto, a cover hingedly connected to the top edge of the rear wall and having a closure flap on its swinging edge, the front and rear walls having corner fiaps on their end edges, the end walls having inwardly foldable cover supporting flaps on their upper edges, each of the end walls having a pair of slits extending upwardly from the hinge connection of the end wall to the bottom, said slits comprising parallel portions terminating in converging portions, said corner flaps having recesses in their side edges providing projecting tongues, an upper edge of the projecting tongues being disposed adjacent the converging portions of the respective slits of the end walls when the tongues are inserted through said parallel portions of the slits, each of the corner flaps at one end of the container being provided with a line of Weakness at the base of its tongue, said end wall cover supporting flaps being foldable inwardly, the cover being closable over the folded cover supporting flaps and the cover closure flap being insertable between the front wall and the front edges of the cover supporting flaps, and means for securing the cover closure'fiap to the front wall, said container being adapted to be filled as a tray with the said cover in open position, and said container after being filled and closed :being adapted to be opened as a tube by swinging one of said end walls outwardly to break the adjacent corner flaps along the lines of weakness thereof, and thereafter reclosed by using the cover supporting flap of the last-mentioned end wall as a tuck flap.

6. A container as defined in claim 5, said cover being provided with a thumb recess along that end edge thereof which is adjacent to the pair of corner flaps which have lines of weakness, to facilitate breaking said corner flaps along said lines of weakness when access to the container is desired.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,776,923 Nemode Sept. 30, 1930 2,114,422 Guyer Apr. 19, 1938 2,153,340 Reid Apr. 4, 1939 2,262,803 Hufiield Nov. 18, 1941 2,809,776 Barn'ngton et al. Oct. 15, 1957 

